Multi-year contracts WTF ?

Posted on: August 5, 2008 11:58 am

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<o:p></o:p>Why do star professional athletes insist on multi-year contracts only to turn around a year later and demand to renegotiate?

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It seems like every week we read about someone holding management hostage for a multi year deal or they will sit out a season or leave to sign a huge free agent contract leaving the franchise that gave them their start high and dry.I understand that the professional athlete’s career is short lived, but you shouldn’t be able to have it both ways.If you sign a four year contract and two months from now somebody else signs a bigger contract, TOO BAD.Unfortunately, these guys are paid based on what they have done in the past and, human nature being what it is; they normally provide their employer reduced production as a reward for the giant long-term contract.We have all seen examples of the amazing production that inevitably comes ina player’s free agent year, but Andruw Jones had his worst statistical season last year and still got a huge free agent contract from the Dodgers and has been HORRIBLE this season…I wonder if he will renegotiate his contract to pay him less…hmmmm.

How long will it be before all of the real fans are unable to attend a major professional sporting event due to continually escalating prices at the “ballpark?”Isn’t it fun watching the Yankees being able to plug in Pudge Rodriguez the minute they find out that Jorge Posada is out for the season.What is their payroll now…a billion frickin’ dollars?Thanks for ruining baseball and leading the charge to ruin sports altogether George Steinbrenner…I almost puked when he showed up at the All-Star game and Fox TV made him sound like the greatest thing that ever happened to baseball.Give me a break.

Somebody needs to take the first step to turn this bullsh*t around.My biggest hope is that Matt Holliday (who talks about how close his team is and that they think of each other as family more than just teammates) tells his agent Scott Boras to hit the bricks, works out a deal with the Rockies for a huge but reasonable amount, and takes the lead in showing dedication and loyalty to his team and their fans.I realize this sounds totally naïve and will likely never happen, but one move like this from a prominent free agent may give all of us hope that professional sports can be salvaged.

Multi-year contracts WT F ?

Thanks for your input...I realize that I sound like some old fart that is out of touch, but I miss the good old days when Bob Gibson was a Cardinal, Mickey Mantle was a Yankee, Carl Yaztrzemski played for the Red Sox, Floyd Little was a Bronco, and none of them ever pimped themselves out for a few extra bucks.

That is why I respect guys like Cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn, and Todd Helton. God bless Todd Helton for sticking with the Rockies all those year when it was obvious that they had no chance. He had some amazing years on some amazingly bad teams, but he always said he wanted to be here when they finally got it right. Well, his reward came last September when he helped them to the miracle streak that landed the most unlikely of teams in the World Series. A huge percentage of guys on that team came up through the organization and that doesn't happen very often these days in major professional sports.

As I mentioned, Matt Holliday will have the opportunity to become incredibly wealthy when his current contract runs out. He will become incredibly wealthy whether he goes for the biggest contract out there (likely with somebody like the Yankees or Red Sox) or he signs here in Colorado for a somewhat smaller but still outrageous multi-million dollar contract.

If he does what is expected and takes the maximum contract, he will further damage the structure of major league baseball and the opportunity for small market teams to remain competitive. If, on the other hand, he does the right thing, he will accomplish several things. He will secure the financial future of not only himself, but that of his children and grandchildren (and likely their grandchildren) as well. He will thumb his nose at the established standard of the mercinary athlete of the 21st century, one whose services are available to whoever has the deepest pockets. And finally he will restore my faith in the possibilities of professional sports...that words such as loyalty, comraderie, and responsibility still mean something in today's world of professional athletics.

Since: Apr 25, 2008

Posted on: September 2, 2008 2:50 pm

Multi-year contracts ?

I couldn't agree more with you about this. I think it mostly comes down to the sports agents that are negotiating these contracts as much for themselves as they are for players. Guys like Boras pi** me off. With baseball at least for the most part a player has to prove himself worthy before they get the big money. In football you just have to make a name for yourself in college and you are entitled to anything you want. It just gets worse every year. And now free agents, mostly the guys beyond their prime, are getting huge contracts just on a whim that they might add something to a team. All I can think is its got stop eventually, the money will run out, fans will be the ones paying for it, and most people will turn to something else.

Since: Oct 22, 2007

Posted on: August 6, 2008 9:52 am

Multi-year contracts WTF ?

Anybody have anything to add about this ??

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